Coupling assembly that establishes a pipe connection through pressure clamping

Abstract

A coupling assembly for joining pipe ends includes a main body sleeve with a shoulder incorporating a sloped step. The main body sleeve has an inner surface with two claiming rings. The assembly further includes a swage ring which is moveable along the outer surface of the pipes. The inner surface of the swage ring includes ramps. The ramps force clamping rings to engage the pipe and form a seal as the swage ring is urged inward towards the main body sleeve. Additionally, the clamping ring includes a tab incorporating a sloped surface with a contour complementary to that of the sloped step. The surface of the clamping ring engages and presses against the surface of the sloped step, thus preventing movement of the swage ring away from the main body sleeve. The disclosure also pertains to a method of joining two pipes utilizing the disclosed coupling assembly.

Now, therefore, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A conduit coupling, comprising:
 a main body sleeve having an opening for receiving an end of a pipe, the main body sleeve having a shoulder, wherein the shoulder has a step at an edge of the shoulder, and wherein a surface of the step is sloped, the main body sleeve having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface defines a first clamping ring and a second clamping ring; and   a swage ring having an inner surface forming a first ramp and a second ramp, the first ramp positioned for engaging a protrusion of the outer surface of the main body sleeve as the swage ring is urged toward the shoulder such that the first clamping ring bites into the pipe forming a seal around the pipe, the second ramp positioned for engaging the outer surface of the main body sleeve as the swage ring is urged toward the shoulder such that the second clamping ring bites into the pipe forming a seal around the pipe, wherein the swage ring has a tab for engaging the step, the tab extending from a side of the swage ring facing the shoulder.   
     
     
         2 . The conduit coupling of  claim 1 , wherein the tab has an inner surface defining a retaining ring for engaging the step such that the retaining ring presses against the surface of the step to resist movement of the swage ring away from the shoulder. 
     
     
         3 . The conduit coupling of  claim 2  wherein the inner surface of the tab has a convex shape. 
     
     
         4 . The conduit coupling of  claim 3 , wherein the surface of the step has a concave shape. 
     
     
         5 . The conduit coupling of  claim 1 , wherein the tab has a sloped inner surface for engaging the surface of the step such that the sloped inner surface of the tab presses against the surface of the step to resist movement of the swage ring away from the shoulder. 
     
     
         6 . A method of joining ends of a plurality of pipes, the method comprising:
 inserting the ends of the plurality of pipes into a main body sleeve, the main body sleeve having a shoulder, wherein the shoulder has a step at an edge of the shoulder, and wherein a surface of the step is sloped, the main body sleeve having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface defines a first clamping ring and a second clamping ring and the outer surface defines a protrusion:   applying axial force to swage ring urging a swage ring toward the shoulder, the swage ring having an inner surface forming a first ramp and a second ramp and wherein the swage ring has a tab extending from a side of the swage ring facing the shoulder, wherein the tab has a sloped inner surface,   engaging the first ramp of the swage ring inner surface with the protrusion of the outer surface of the main body sleeve such that the first clamping ring bites into the pipe forming a seal around the pipe;   engaging the second ramp with the outer surface of the main body sleeve such that the second clamping ring bites into the pipe forming a seal around the pipe, and   engaging the sloped inner surface of the tab with the sloped surface of the step such that the sloped inner surface of the tab presses against the surface of the step to resist movement of the swage ring away from the shoulder.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the sloped inner surface of the tab defines a retaining ring for engaging the step such that the retaining ring presses against the sloped surface to resist movement of the swage ring away from the shoulder. 
     
     
         8 . The method  claim 7 , wherein the sloped inner surface of the tab has a convex shape. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sloped surface of the step has a concave shape. 
     
     
         10 . A conduit coupling, comprising:
 a main body sleeve having an opening for receiving an end of a pipe, the main body sleeve having a shoulder, wherein the shoulder has a step at an edge of the shoulder, the main body sleeve having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface defines a first clamping ring and a second clamping ring; and   a swage ring having an inner surface forming a first ramp and a second ramp, the first ramp positioned for engaging a protrusion of the outer surface of the main body sleeve as the swage ring is urged toward the shoulder such that the first clamping ring bites into the pipe forming a seal around the pipe, the second ramp positioned for engaging the outer surface of the main body sleeve as the swage ring is urged toward the shoulder such that the second clamping ring bites into the pipe forming a seal around the pipe, wherein the swage ring has a tab for engaging the step, the tab extending from a side of the swage ring facing the shoulder, wherein a surface of the step and the tab are shaped such that when the tab is engaged with the step, the tab presses against the surface of the step in response to a force tending to separate the swage ring from the shoulder thereby resisting movement of the swage ring from the shoulder.